Changeable prismatic sign.



A J. H. LA PEARL. GHANGEABLE PRISMATIG SIGN.

APPLICATION IILBD JUNE 1 Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

ov MN JAMES H. LA PEARL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CHANGEABLE rRIsMA'rIe sicav.

miese-i.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Application filed June'l, 1914. Serial No. 842,104..

Patented oet. e, 1914..

To elf 107mm it muy foncer/n Be it known that I, JAMES Il. LA PEARL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Los Angeles,eounty of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Changeable Prismatie Sign, of'whieh the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to the construction of a device which will display i-n succession a series of signs thereby giving the device many times 'the capacity of an ordinary sign of the same size. The device also has power of attracting attention not possessed by a stationary sign, rdue to the intermittent mechanicalmovement which is visible from the front of, the sign.

' The object. ofthe invention is to secure a changeablesign of durable construction having a minimum nunibcr'of parts and' a maxi .muni capacity off'display surface. The

means by which these results are attained is described herein and is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view showing the sign during the interval when it is changing from one display to another, Fig. 2 is an end view of the sign with the outside casing vomitted to illustrate the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a fragmental section taken on the dotted line a-a in Fig. l., Fig( 4 shows the same parts afterl the prism has come to rest and before the leaves are moved into position between the prisms. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a prism with two of the leaves attached, showing how it appears when in position to display the sign. Fig. (3 is a' perspective view of a spring locking 'bar used in the device. Fig.

i 7 is asimilar view of a ratchet arm. Fig. 8

is an elevation of a spring.` Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively end and side views of a leaf raising arm and gear. Figs. 11 and 12 are-similar views of leaf lowering mechanisin.

Throughout the several views like characters indicate like parts.` l

The sign consists principally of a series of intermittently revolving prisms, leaves for closing the spaces between the prisms and operating mechanism.

ln the drawingsjthe prisms are indicated by the numeral 20. In the-type of sign illustrated in the drawings, tivo of these prisms are.. used. Each prism 1s provided with four leaves designated as 21, E22, 23 and 24. lhe number of sides on the prism is varied according-to the vnumber desired, and the number of leaves always equal the number of sides on the prism, one leafl being hinged to each longitudinal edge.

of changes Space must be left betweein the prismsl to permit of their turning. The purpose'of the leaves is to close these spaces on the front of the sign. 'The space between the adjacent facesiof any tivo prisms, whenthe front faces are in a plane, is made exactly twice the widtliof a single leaf. Two leaves are therefore necessary to close each space. This is a vital feature of the invention.

y using two leaves to close each space, one Aof which is raised into place, the other lowered, it is possible to utilize both sides of each leaf for display, in connection with the several prism faces. For any given area of display the number of prisms is therefore less than necessary in signs in which the space bet een the adjacent prisms is closed by a single leaf, in which case only one side of each leaf can be utilized.

The operating mechanism consists of any .suitable motive power indicated as 30'. Power is transmittedfrom tliissource through a worin 3l to a gear 32 which revolves at a uniform speed. Many well known `terms of transmission may be used forthe'sanic piirpose..4 Y l 33 is a pin on the gear 32 which once during each revolution strikes and depresses a lever Motion. is thence transmitted through the connecting lilik to a lever 3G which in turn transmits motion through a linlc to the lever 38, thence through the'4 connecting bar 39 to a ratchet arm 40 and through the reciprocating har 4l to a second ratchet bai` 40 operating the upperA prism.

By tracing the direction in which force s transmitted it will be found that the bar 41 moves upward .when [the lever 34 is dei.v pressed and thc-amount of this upward motion is just enough to niovetlie ratchet -arm through an angle of ninety `degrees,around the shaft QS) as a center. After `depressing the lever 34 the pin 33 immediately comes into contact with and depresses the'lever 36.

The effect of this is to move the bar 41' and connected ratchet 'arms downward to the position originally occupied by them. The pin 33 is then free to move `until it .again strikes the lever 34.` .l`hejetfeet' leoV ` the shafts 29, and havin taneously by means of a shaft extending from side to side of the sign, parallel with pinions 71 on the' two ends of said shaft 0. On one end a pinion 71 enmeshes the rack f5l as shown and on the opposite end it enmeshes a duplicate rack, not shown, which in turn operates pin ions and raising and lowering arms exactly as shown and described above.

The advertisin matter on the faces of the prisms and on t e leaves may be painted thereon or printed on paper and then pasted thereon.

61 is a stop which prevents the leaf 22 from falling forward' after it is raised into place and 62 is a guide attached to the end wall 27 and serves toI uide the leaves as they start to the back/of t e sign.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a sign, the combination of a series of prisms spaced to permit of simultaneous rotation; leaves hinged to each of the longitudinal edges of each of said risms; means for partially rotating'said prlsms at predetermined intervals; means for raising the leaf attached to the upper front edge of each prism, after each artial rotation ofsaid prism, and means or lowering the leaf attached to the 'bottom front edge of each prism, after each partial revolutlon thereof.

2. In a sign, the combination of a series of prisms spaced to permit of simultaneous rotation; leaves, one attached to each longitudinal ed e of each prism, the width ofy each leaf cmg-.substantially equalto one half the distance between said prisms when the adjacent faces of the said prisms are parallel; means for partially rotating said prisms at regular intervals; means for raising the leaf attached to the upper front edge of each prism and means for lowering the leaf attached to the lower front edge of each prism until the saidleaves are in alinement With the front surfaces of said prisms.

3. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes; leaves adapted to close the spaces between said prisms, one hinged to each longitudinal edge of each prism; means for partially rotating said prisms at regular intervals; means for raising the leaf attached to the upper front edge of each prism and means for simultaneously lowering the leaf attached tothe lower front edge of each prism after each partial revolution of said prisms, all substantially as described and for the uses and purposes set forth.

Lit. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes: leaves attached to the longitudinal edges of said prisms, adapted to close the spaces between the front surfaces of said prisms, prism rotating mechanism said `of rotatably forward motion consisting of power mechanism adapted to transmit reciprocal motion to ratchet bars; ratchet bars adapted to engage and more in succession cross arms attachedv to said prisms; means for releasing said cross arms from said ratchet bar Vat the end of each forward motion of the ratchet bar; means for raising the leaves attached to the top front edges of said prisms and means for lowering the leaves attached to the lower front edges of said prisms, after each partial rotation of prisms. 5. In a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes; leaves attached to the longitudinal edges of said prisms; prism rotating mechanism consisting of a ratchet bar i adaptedto engage successively the cross arms attached. to each of said prisms; crossl arms attached to each prism, one arm for each face to be exposed, a reciprocatin bar connecting the said ratchet bals-driving mechanism adapted to intermittently move said connecting bar and attached ratchet bars, and means for releasing the cross arms from said ratchet bars at the end of the forward movement of said connectingbar; means for locking said prisms after each artial rotation; means for moving the iieaves into alinement with the faces of the prisms thus closing the spaces between the said risms. y

6. n a sign, the combination of a series of rotatably mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes; leaves hinged to the longitudinal edges of each prism; means for partially rotating said prisms at intervals; a

rack operatively connected with the prism rotating mechanism; pinions, two for each of said prisms, enmeshing said-rack; shafts to lwhich said pinions are attached, said shafts being opposite and in alinement with the front top and bottom edges of each prism; raising arms attached to the said shafts opposite the top edges of said prisms, each of said arms bemg 'adapted to raise 'a leaf attached to said top prism; grooved lowering arms attached to the pinion shafts opposite the lower front edges of each of said prisms, adapted to lower the leaves attached at the lower front edges of said prisms, thus closing the spaces between said prisms.

7. In a sign, the combination of a series mounted prisms having parallel longitudinal axes; leaves attached to the longitudinal edges of said prisms; prism rotating mechanism consisting of cross arms attached to said prisms, ratchet bars adapted to engage said cross arms, a bar connecting' said ratchet bars, driving mechanism adapted to intermittently move said connecting bars and means for releasing said cross arms from said ratchet bars at the end of each of said connecting bar;

edge of the adjacent.

a almaar means for lookin the risins after each parl: 1 lower front edges of said prisms and raising tial rotation; anlea iowerin and raising l arms attached to the said shafts opposite the lf mechanism consisting of a rac operatively top front edges Of said prisms. connected with saideonnecting bar, pinions JAMES H LA PEARL engaged by said rack, shafts carrying said pnions one opposite each` top and bottom In the presence of edge oi the face of each prism, lowering ALEXANDER Ors,

' arm-s' attached to said. shaftsopposlte the ELLIS C. MAnenmsoN. 

